More than 2,000 tourists sue over Cape Verde outbreak
More than 2,000 tourists are taking legal action after a cape verde stomach illness outbreak left eight people dead, with holidaymakers reporting infections including Shigella, Salmonella and E. coli. Jatinder Paul, the lawyer representing victims through Irwin Mitchell, said the claims could be “the tip of the iceberg.”
Irwin Mitchell and TUI claims
Paul said, “These are just the people that have contacted us.” He added, “This litigation is on an absolute huge scale,” and, “It’s not something that I’ve ever seen before.” The legal claims are mainly against TUI, which has taken over a million tourists to Cape Verde in recent years.
Victims said they were left with dirty hotels, unsafe food and problems with the islands’ water systems. Paul said, “We’ve heard over and over again meat being uncooked,” and, “We’ve seen photographs of chicken that is quite clearly raw.” He also said, “We’ve seen flies on food, considerable flies on food.”
Eight deaths and lasting illness
The infections linked to the outbreak can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration. Some victims were left with long-term health problems, and a few became so ill they could not work. Paul said, “There’s literally a cocktail of different pathogens, which are very nasty for people that are already immunosuppressed.”
The dead include three British tourists named in the facts from 2024: Elena Walsh, 64, from Birmingham; Mark Ashley, 55, from Bedfordshire; and Karen Pooley, 64, from Gloucester. Walsh’s husband, Patrick, said after her death, “You don't expect to go on holiday and you all don't come back.”
British tourists and legal action
Solicitors said eight British tourists have died after falling ill during or following holidays in Cape Verde in recent years. Paul, who said he has spent about 20 years representing people who suffered serious injuries abroad, said, “In all my years of doing this – and that’s about 20 years of representing people that have suffered serious injuries abroad – I’ve not come across a case such as this.”
He added, “People are dying and coming back with serious infections like Shigella.” For affected tourists, the legal action now puts the focus on whether holiday conditions, food safety and water systems can be tested in court through the claims already filed against TUI.
